10 NEW RAMSAR SITES
Why in News?:
Recently, India has added 10 more Ramsar sites, or wetlands that are of international importance, taking the number of such sites to 64.
What is a Ramsar Site? :
A wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, which is also known as the ‘Convention on Wetlands’ — an intergovernmental environmental treaty established by UNESCO in 1971, and named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the convention was signed that year.
The newest addition:
Wetland |
State |
Importance |
1. Sirpur Wetland |
Madhya Pradesh |
Aesthetic value, Groundwater recharge |
2. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary |
Karnataka |
Riverine wetland, enlisted as Important Bird Area by Bombay Natural History Society |
3. Nanda Lake |
Goa |
Valuable Biodiversity |
4. Satkosia Gorge |
Odisha |
Meeting point of Deccan Peninsula and Eastern Ghats |
5. Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary |
Tamil Nadu |
Breeding ground of Water-birds (Oriental darter, glossy ibis, grey heron, Eurasian spoonbill etc) |
6. Vedathangal Bird Sanctuary |
Tamil Nadu |
Oldest Bird protected area, International recognition as Important Bird & Biodiversity Area (IBA) |
7. Vellode Bird Sanctuary |
Tamil Nadu |
Breeding & Roosting colonies |
8. Vembannur Complex |
Tamil Nadu |
Man-made inland tank, Southernmost tip of Indian peninsula, part of Bird Life International Data Zone |
9. Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve |
Tamil Nadu |
1st marine biosphere reserve in South Asia & South-east Asia |
10. Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary |
Tamil Nadu |
Largest reserve for breeding resident & migratory water birds, part of Central Asian Flyway |